Success of self-employment projects:

Close monitoring and guidance, a must

by Surekha GALAGODA

Close monitoring and guidance is a must during the initial stages of a project, if it is to be successful. This is what I observed during a visit to Kantale to see the progress of self-employment projects initiated with loans given by Lanka Puthra Development Bank (LDB).

Ranjani Samaratunga

The loans are given by the Polonnaruwa branch of LDB, while they are disbursed through the Vanitha Sanwardana Padanama headed by Ms Padmini Jayaweera who deposits the loan installments and also helps these entrepreneurs with advice and guidance.

The LDB Polonnaruwa Manager, Rahula Senanayaka supports and guides these women and finds solutions to all their business-related problems. Senanayaka and Jayaweera know each person individually and were able to give details of the amounts taken by each person and the purpose for which it was taken.

This is the special bond that customers have and it has helped in the recovery process as well.

Most of the women have started with Rs 5000 loans and at present their loans are in the region of Rs 50,000- 100,000. Most of them are keen to increase the amount and expand their businesses for which the bank and society assists them.

Shanthilatha, a mother of three, two sons and a daughter got a loan of Rs 100,000 and purchased three fishing nets. The nets were given to a fisherman. She then purchases the catch and makes dry fish. She has already paid 10 installments and is planning to take another loan to purchase a dryer so that she can carry on the business during the rainy season as well. She employs four women to cut the fish which is then dried. " The loans have helped me to start and improve my business and educate our children and my only aim is to develop the business, pay the loan and lead a good life with my husband and children."

Nalika Wasanthi, a mother of two who is a good seamstress has a shop on the Kantale main road. She can sew anything and employs another lady to support her.

Rahula Senanayaka	Padmini Jayaweera

Soft spoken Nalika is as strong as a lioness. She also sews mosquito nets which are taken by people to be given according to a Seetu. " I started to build a house with the money I earn. I want to rent out the house and get an income as we are not pensionable. If I didn't invest on building the house I would have done better in my business.

If I can get a higher loan then it will help me to prosper", she said. She doesn't go to Colombo to get the raw material needed for her sewing as she says it is a waste of time.

Instead she deposits the money in the bank and gets the material through someone. Her children come to her shop after school where they sleep, do their home work and then they go home together. " I want to balance everything, the home, the family and the business", Nalika said. Her looks belies her true strength and she knows what she is talking about. Together with her husband who is a farmer, they lead a busy life.

Raadhika sells curd and treacle on the Kantale main road and is planning to build a permanent shop. She started the business four years ago and earns a profit of Rs 1,500 on a weekday while during the weekend, profits are more.

Shanthi has got a loan of Rs 100,000 and has started a retail shop together with her husband near her home. They serve all three meals as well as short eats. She pays Rs 4,000 as rent for the premises. "I bought a refrigerator on easy payment terms while I and my two children have got life insurance policies as well. Earlier I was working as a labourer now our plan is to buy a block of land and build a shop."

Wansawathi and her daughter

Nalika Wasanthi

G.M. Dayawathi (52) makes flower pots, garden sets, cement blocks as well as pavement blocks with a loan of Rs 50,000 which she obtained. "My son supports me.

I worked in the paddy field earlier. Now I know to mix concrete and even paint". She has a good understanding of the industry.

"At present I purchase 10-15 bags of cement at a time and if I can increase that to 25-50 bags then I can increase the profit.I am planning to get another loan to build a hut to keep the block making machine and also increase the purchase of raw materials," Dayawathi said.

Shirani Perera is engaged in dairy farming and obtained a Rs 100,000 loan . " I started with one cow now I have 12 and sell a litre of milk between Rs 50-52", she said.

Darshini, a mother of two obtained Rs 100,000 to start a wood workshop together with her husband. " I want to develop the business further before I obtain another loan" she said.

Wansawathi, a mother of two is engaged in the male-dominated business of fishing." Getting a loan of Rs100,000 was like being born again and thanks to the society, the bank and the wewa, we are leading a good life. I get up at four in the morning and a holiday is a luxury but I enjoy it. I don't have savings but I have 36 fishing nets", she said.

She and her daughter go by boat and bring the catch ashore.

Nirmala Chandani, a mother of three has a poultry farm with 300 chicks which are sold as chicken meat. She started the farm with 50 chicks and after obtaining the loan had built a shed and increased the number of birds.

"My husband loves animals and birds and we are planning to move to selling eggs in the near future", she said

Shanthi

Ranjani Samaratunga started a dairy farm in 2008.

She obtained a loan of Rs 50,000 and has two milch cows. She gets 16 litres of milk a day and maintains books for each cow. She does it methodically and has got a good training in dairy farming. Samaratunga wanted a loan of Rs 100,000 to build a shed before the rains and before we left Kantale approval was given.

Hemanthi has two children and is engaged in making teddy bears. " I got a loan of Rs 40,000 and Rs 50,000 and now it is the third loan which is Rs 100,000. I started the business three years ago with Rs 2,000 worth of raw material which we brought from Akurana by bus. Now I have raw material worth Rs 1,50,000 and the mudalali will give me any amount on credit as I have always honoured my debts.

Getting these loans have helped me to build a house and finance to puschase a Dimo Batta as well", she said. Her husband is an an ex-Army officer and supports her a lot, she said. Ms Jaya weera and Project Co-ordinating officer, Manjula Chaminda Bandara who frequently visit the beneficiaries were unable to make out her house, which is proof that she has progressed. The chairperson LDB Kumudiniy Kulathunga and GM Lasantha Amarasekera give their fullest support for the project said Senanayaka.

Shanthilatha	Hemanthi	Nirmala Chandani